Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Altair Ibn-La'Ahad (11 January 1165-12 August 1257) was the leader of the Levantine Brotherhood of the Hashshashin from 1191 to 1227 and from 1247 to 1257. He was originally a pupil of Rashid ad-Din Sinan, better known as "Al Mualim", and hunted down the Knights Templar during the Crusades, but in 1191 he killed his master when he found out that he was secretly a member of the Templars. He became the leader of the Assassins Order but in 1227 he was betrayed and deposed by Abbas Sofian while he was fighting against Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire, and twenty years later he fought back and seized back his title in revenge for the deaths of his wife and son Sef Ibn-La'Ahad.

Early Life
Altair Ibn-La'Ahad was born in the Assassins stronghold of Masyaf in present-day Syria in 1165. He was the son of Umar Ibn-La'Ahad and a woman named Maud, and while his mother died in childbirth, his father was betrayed and killed by Ahmad Sofian, who gave him up to the Saracens. Ahmad later confronted Altair in his quarters and killed himself in front of him, regretting his cowardice.

Altair headed to Rashid ad-Din Sinan (better known as "Al Mualim", "the Teacher"), the leader of the Assassins, and informed him of the incident. Al Mualim told him not to disclose what had happened, least of all to Ahmad's son Abbas, who would train with him. One day, he told him, causing a rivalry between the two of them, resulting in a duel between them which led to both of their detainment in Masyaf's dungeon. While Abbas was given another year of training, Altair was made a Master Assassin.

Solomon's Temple and Defense of Masyaf
In 1191, Al Mualim made him the leader of an attempt to find the Ark of the Covenant at Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem along with Kadar al-Sayf and Malik al-Sayf, but he broke the Creed by foolishly assaulting Robert de Sable and the Knights Templar in the caves without stealth. Kadar was killed and Malik's arm was cut off, and Altair escaped to Masyaf, where he met with Al Mualim in the tower. When he returned, he was confronted by Abbas, who told him that Al Mualim was waiting for him in the Library.

Altair met with Mualim in the Library, but when he told him that De Sable was not alone and that he had failed him, Mualim was angered. He told him not to speak, and that it was not what he expected. He told him that he had done enough, and that Malik and Kadar were dead, but Malik returned, with his left arm cut off. Malik gave the Ark of the Covenant to Al Mualim, but he found out that Robert de Sable had besieged Masyaf's village.

He helped out in distracting the Templars while Abbas Sofian helped to bring the inhabitants into the tower, and Altair headed back to the Tower when the evacuation of the village began. Besieged in the castle, Altair headed to a tower behind the Templars and cut the ropes, letting the logs fall on the Templar soldiers.

However, Altair was not to be forgiven for his failure in the Temple of Solomon, and Al Mualim had him restrained by two guards and stabbed him in the chest with a knife. He was rendered unconscious and felt death's embrace, but he endured with his strength and survived the wound. Al Mualim wanted him to feel this, and awake from death's sleep as a man reborn. He was stripped of rank and possessions, and was made a novice, a child once more. He was offered a chance at redemption.

Redemption
He was sent to the village market, where he was told that the traitor who gave up the Assassins was located. Altair found out that a man named Masun had been a traitor but had an accomplice, having eavesdropped on two men, and he also heard that the basket weaver had received a letter and had helped the traitors. He pickpocketed a letter from the weaver and found Masun under the cypress tree preaching against Al Mualim. He beat him up and Masun told him that he served the Templars, and found out that Jamal was the one who opened the gates. He told him that Al Mualim would be the one to decide his fate. Altair brought him to the tower, and Masun refused to repent for the "evil in his heart", but he told him that it was the truth. Al Mualim buried a sword in his neck in the library, executing him. Al Mualim told him that Jamal need not be killed by him, but kill "The Nine", who were deadly foes of the Assassins:
 * Tamir Daraiseh
 * Garnier de Naplouse
 * Talal
 * Abu'l Nuqoud
 * William V of Montferrat
 * Majd Addin
 * Meister Sibrand
 * Jubair al Hakim
 * Maria Thorpe
 * Robert de Sable

Tamir
His first target was Tamir, who ran a black market operation in the poor district of Damascus. He left the tower and was confronted by Abbas Sofian, who asked him to teach a student how to fight. He beat him with his sword many times before he decided that he was busy, and left the training circle. Altair left the village confines and mounted a horse, and rode for Damascus.

He snuck past the guards while fitting into a group of scholars by looking down and praying as he walked with the four of them, and entered the city, and climbed to the top of a spire, looking down upon the large Damascus cityscape. He eavesdropped on a man who was supposed to deliver a letter to the merchant, and pickpocketed the letter. He learned that Tamir was awaiting a large shipment.



Later, Altair visited the Bureau and made contact with the Rafiq of Damascus, who told him of the possible hideouts of Tamir. He decided to investigate again, eavesdropping on two men, learning that the beams in the central courtyard could be accessed. After this, he informed the Rafiq that he would assassinate Tamir at the Souk Al-Silaah as he made one of the biggest deals of his life.

Altair rested at Rafiq's base until he was ready. The next day, he found out that Tamir was at the souk preparing the shipment. He climbed on top of a platform and observed the bazaar where Tamir was bound for, and watched him enter the square. He angrily killed one of his men after he produced excuses that he had done all he could and that his men worked day and night. Tamir resumed to walk away, but Altair threw him to the ground and lunged his sword into him, killing him. Altair learned from Tamir that there were others and that he had only a part to play in the whole scheme. He returned to the Rafiq, who congratulated him and told him to go to Al Mualim to get some more work.

Garnier
Altair was told to go either to Jerusalem or Acre for his next hunt, as both had targets that required killing. He decided to head for Acre, where he would take down Garnier de Naplouse, the Marshal of the Knights Hospitallers. Although he had a little run-in with a patrol of Templar knights, he killed them and reached Acre.

On his arrival at the gates he fought through the Hospitallers, who refused to let him into the castle. He killed droves of them, and moved into the city, where he synchronized the sights from atop the church tower. He eavesdropped on two guards, and found out that some fortress roof guards were off duty. Shortly after, he saved a priest from a group of thugs that attacked him, saving 1/12 people in the Poor District of Acre. Shortly after he saved a woman from three thugs and also killed four Hospitallers who tried to break up the fight.

He was told by the Rafiq of Acre to look for the public gardens for a place to start investigations on Garnier, and set out to gather more information. After re-synchronizing the view of Acre, he decided to steal a map showing candelabras and patients in the Fortress. He returned to the Rafiq and told him that he could strike in the Order's hospital, killing him as he made his rounds past his patients.

He found Garnier approach a fleeing patient in the fortress, and he saw Garnier take him and have him returned to his quarters for execution after breaking his legs. He follower Garnier into the hospital and engaged in a fight with many Hospitallers. He was in a sword fight with many Crusaders, and tripped Garnier and stabbed him in the neck with two hidden blades. He reported his murder to the Rafiq, and returned to Masyaf.